As Artificial Intelligence (AI) rapidly becomes smarter, it has been widely adopted in private industry to provide real-time data tracking, insights, and actionable competitive intelligence (CI). AI allows users to process far more information than previously possible — faster and more efficiently. Despite this, as businesses both small and large increasingly rely on AI powered platforms to maintain or gain competitive advantage, a recent trend in CI is recognition of the need for “Human Analysis and Curation” to provide more “accurate and actionable insights” than use of AI alone.

Structured Analytic Techniques (SATs) are universally applicable, non-computer-based tools used by analysts to mitigate the impact of cognitive bias, misapplied heuristics, and intuitive traps while “decreasing error rates and avoiding intelligence failures.” With the adoption and use of SATs across a wide variety of disciplines, an increasingly important question in 2024 is where and how AI tools can be harnessed to complement analysts’ uniquely human factors in the performance of these techniques.

Our study analyzes techniques from four families of SATs to determine whether and how specific AI capabilities will add value. Data from an international cohort is collected in a matrix assessing AI value for each technique.

We propose that AI can and should play a significant role in the use of SATs. However, SATs are thinking tools for analysts with human cognition, creativity, and relationships. We predict analysts in private industry CI and government agencies alike will be augmented rather than replaced by AI.

Dr. Janet Baker is an experienced physician with a Master of Business Administration and Intelligence Analysis Professional (IAP) certification, transitioning her career to Competitive Intelligence (CI). She researched with the late Randy Phearson on the role of AI in Structured Analytic Techniques.